Exhibition Notes & Curatorial Commentary
Lilla Cabot Perry was an American painter and an important figure in the development of American Impressionism. Born in Boston in 1848, she grew up in a prominent New England family surrounded by literature, education, and intellectual culture. She began serious artistic training relatively late, studying in Boston before continuing her education in Europe. In Paris, Perry encountered contemporary French painting and became increasingly drawn to Impressionism. Her artistic direction changed decisively after visiting Giverny in 1889, where she befriended Claude Monet. Through repeated stays there, Perry absorbed Impressionist approaches to light, color, atmosphere, and direct observation while maintaining her strong interest in portraiture and the human figure. She later lived in Japan from 1898 to 1901, where Japanese aesthetics further influenced her sense of composition, pattern, and seasonal atmosphere. Perry exhibited in the United States and Europe and helped introduce American audiences to Monet and French Impressionism. She balanced professional painting with marriage and motherhood, frequently depicting family members and intimate domestic subjects. Perry continued working throughout her later life in Boston and New Hampshire. She died in 1933 and is now recognized internationally as a leading American Impressionist of her generation and a cultural bridge between artistic traditions.